Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” tells us about the life of Connie who has no guidance in life, because her family has not provided any moral support to help through her teenage life. She only knows about popular culture and not the consequences that comes with it. Without proper direction to face problems, Connie is confronted by Arnold Friend who has a plan to do some grotesque things to …

…her. He finally lures her out by threaten to harm her family. Judging people physically can sometimes overshadow how the person is inside. The relationship between Arnold and Connie could be a fatal one to Connie. His real plan is to hurt her just like he did the other women he was with. When Arnold founded Connie’s weakness, he attacked at it as much as possible to make her weak and potentially fragile mentally.